Reeling in Talent (3)
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the battle ended in victory for the Heavenly Demon Cult thanks to that administrator.
Because he had supplied provisions at just the right moment.
In gratitude, the Cult Leader personally bestowed upon him the title of Mantongmagun—Lord of the Myriad Paths—meaning that all affairs of the Heavenly Demon Cult would pass through him.
Right there, he revealed the origin of his name, and it spread far and wide. Even I knew of it.
With a faint hope, I asked the boy.
"By any chance, did you name yourself Seok Ilsong after seeing a pine tree growing on the ruins of a foundation, thinking you wanted to become someone as steadfast as that?"
"Huh? Yeah, that's right. How did you know?"
I was at a loss for words for a moment.
A constitution unfit for cultivating martial arts.
And the meaning behind the name he'd given himself, exactly as I'd just described.
The real Seok Ilsong.
I looked at the boy staring at me with wide eyes—Seok Ilsong—and said,
"Just a hunch."
What on earth had happened in my previous life?
What events led a boy like this to drift into the Heavenly Demon Cult and plunge the Central Plains into terror?
Thank goodness I'd found him before he pledged himself to that cult.
This boy's talents were meant for construction and a hopeful future, not senseless slaughter.
"We're from Hubei Province. How about you come with us back there?"
"Of course."
"We're a merchant group. Hiring you means you'll have to help with the group's business."
"Anything's fine, as long as it's not illegal."
I didn't even need to ponder where to place Seok Ilsong.
With our selection as salt retailers, the workload would only increase.
And now, I'd become a branch leader myself.
As branch leader, I could no longer serve as Assistant Manager Yu's aide.
So, Assistant Manager Yu needed a sharp subordinate dedicated solely to him.
Yu had always been distrustful of people and had never had an aide before.
But Seok Ilsong could melt that distrust away.
Young, full of zest for life, and incredibly bright.
I'd just bring him to Yu and tell him to raise the kid well.
"Stay here for now, and we'll head back to Hubei together."
"So, you're hiring me?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you! I'll work hard!"
The problem was that the kid was only thirteen. Leaving him alone at the inn felt iffy for all sorts of reasons...
As if sensing my worry, Palgap spoke up quickly.
"Young master, I'll stay here at the inn with the boy."
"You sure that's okay?"
"Of course."
"Thanks. Here, use this money to grab some good food too."
I pressed a generous pouch of silver into Palgap's hand.
Now, it was really time to return to the true group leader's estate.
We'd already delayed quite a bit, and I was starting to feel tired.
.
.
.
Two days passed.
Finally, representatives from all twenty-three merchant groups gathered at the estate of Jin Urim, the true group leader.
The reps held a meeting, and from the documents my father had brought, I could guess the contents.
The salt retailers were banded together under the name Salt Alliance, agreeing to hold regular meetings twice a year.
They also settled details like salt prices and the maximum amount that could be retailed at once.
Reading through it, I couldn't help but smirk.
The Emperor's really serious about this.
Of course. The common folk had suffered under salt prices for so long; to win their support, he had no choice but to push this hard.
Plus, it filled the imperial coffers as a bonus.
The next day.
We finally headed to the palace to pay our respects to the Emperor.
Clack, clack, clack.
The rhythmic sound of the carriage rolling over the stone-paved road echoed.
I glanced at my father.
He was visibly tense.
Well, we were about to meet the Emperor.
A man at the pinnacle of power, whose slightest gesture or glance could scatter a group like ours—mere branches of the top hundred merchants—like leaves in the wind.
But I wasn't nervous at all.
I knew the Emperor had summoned us just to make a show of it.
Meet, hear "Do well from now on. I'm watching," reply "We'll do our best," and leave the audience chamber. Done.
Oh, right—we had one more line. We'd brought a gift for the Emperor: the fan device.
The carriage to the Emperor held only me and my father. My brother wasn't coming.
He wasn't on the audience list.
According to the list the eunuch brought, only each group's representative was allowed, with me as the sole exception.
The Emperor had specifically requested me. That's why I'd come all the way to Beijing.
Probably to thank me for rescuing Jin Urim, the true group leader.
Jeong Ho hyung had seemed a bit miffed about it deep down.
Not that there was reason to be.
At the level of the Five Great Merchant Groups of the world, invitations to audience were routine.
Back then, Jeong Ho hyung—as group leader—had visited the palace multiple times.
The carriage came to a stop.
"From here, everyone must proceed on foot. Get out of the carriages."
At the words of the eunuch escorting us, we dismounted.
In the distance gleamed the ornate halls with golden roofs.
A stone-paved path stretched before us—meaning no shade anywhere.
I glanced at the blazing sun and let out a soft sigh.
Thanks to my ice arts, I didn't mind the heat.
But the others were already wilting. Especially Injun Group Leader, who was over seventy.
Make him walk all that way in this heat?
What would Jeong Ho hyung have said if he saw this? He hates the heat.
Thinking of Jeong Ho hyung reminded me of something he'd said after visiting the palace in my previous life.
"The path to Taehwa Hall is long and hot, so I was worried. But the eunuchs held up curved canopies to shade us, and it was nice and cool."
A 曲蓋—curved canopy—was used to provide shade where none existed, usually attached to carriages.
But when carriages weren't allowed, they'd carry them by hand.
Providing a canopy in the palace meant exceptional treatment.
And when canopies were used, an eunuch from the Parasol Office always accompanied.
They managed the Emperor's tents and umbrellas, including those for honored guests.
With a hunch, I asked the eunuch escorting us.
"Excuse me, is there an eunuch from the Parasol Office here?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Our group has some interest in umbrellas, you see."
"What a random question. Merchants and their curiosity, tsk tsk. The eunuch over there is from the Parasol Office."
The eunuch grumbled in response.
"Thank you for letting me know."
So there was one from the Parasol Office.
Not that there wouldn't be.
From the Emperor's view, us salt retailers were more valuable guests than even the Five Great Merchant Groups.
But the eunuchs didn't seem thrilled with us. Their attitudes from earlier, and the way they looked down on us...
I knew what that gaze meant.
Mere money-grubbing merchants lucky just to step inside the palace—why bother giving us special treatment?
I'd seen that look plenty in my previous life.
Anyway, I'd figured out the situation.
We were supposed to get canopies. But they'd deliberately skipped preparing them.
In other words, they weren't properly following the Emperor's orders.
You might ask how they dared, but complaining about no canopy was awkward and hard to prove.
These group leaders weren't even in the Five Greats, so they probably didn't know about canopy protocol.
The Emperor couldn't oversee every detail.
That's why they formed secret cliques among the eunuchs.
They should grovel now while they can.
From my memory, a bloody purge hit the eunuchs a few months later.
Because they'd collectively deceived the Emperor—like selling info on other groups for money related to the salt distribution law.
And one of them had leaked Jin Group Leader's travel route to the Dong Clan Merchant Group.
That got exposed.
Was their rudeness to us because their favored group took a hit, cutting their kickbacks?
So petty.
They'd grown arrogant under the Emperor's favor, thinking they were safe. Now they'd pay the price.
Back then, I'd pitied them a little. But experiencing their filth firsthand? Self-inflicted.
"Move it!"
"You planning to keep His Majesty waiting?"
The eunuchs prodded us. No point arguing about the canopies now.
It'd just delay us and invite questions from the Emperor.
So, we'd let it slide for the moment.
I said to Injun Group Leader,
"Let me carry you on my back."
"No need. I'm fine."
"It looks pretty far. What if you collapse from heatstroke in front of His Majesty? And if we slow down, these eunuchs will chew you out."
The eunuchs didn't stop me.
It was true.
"......"
"Just pretend I'm your grandson and relax on my back."
"Then I'll impose without shame."
I hoisted Injun Group Leader onto my back. The eunuch said,
"Let's go."
As we walked for a good while, Injun Group Leader whispered,
"I'm truly grateful. Honestly, I was wondering how I'd make it to Taehwa Hall."
"No trouble at all."
"Your body's remarkably cool, though."
"Probably my cold constitution."
"I see."
Then Injun Group Leader said,
"Those guys skipping the canopy feels deliberate..."
He understood the situation too.
Old ginger is indeed spicy.
"You noticed as well, huh? Quite pitiful."
I whispered back,
"Truth is, I hold grudges pretty well."
"What do you plan to do?"
"Watch and see. I'll make it even cooler for them than this."
We finally arrived at Taehwa Hall after a long walk.
The audience chamber.
After straightening our robes and waiting briefly, an inner eunuch emerged and said politely,
"Enter."
"Yes."
We filed in one by one and prostrated ourselves before him.
"We pay respects to His Majesty the Emperor. Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand!"
"Raise your heads."
"Your grace is boundless."
I lifted my head to look at the Emperor.
He was in his forties, young for an emperor. But I sensed he was no ordinary man.
It felt like gazing into the leisurely eyes of a white tiger, the Mountain King.
Beside him stood Jin Urim, the true group leader.
He'd left an hour before us, apparently to discuss matters with the Emperor.
"My selection of your merchant groups as salt retailers under the new salt distribution law is..."
As expected, the Emperor gave the "I'm watching, do well" speech.
"We shall uphold Your Majesty's sacred will."
Injun Group Leader spoke for us, and we bowed our heads together.
"I hear the Eunhae Merchant Group brought a gift?"
My father had informed the eunuchs in advance, so the Emperor already knew.
Father replied,
"Yes. A modest item, but prepared with our heartfelt sincerity."
"Bring it forth."
At his words, the eunuch took the item from my father and presented it to the Emperor.
Seeing it, the Emperor tilted his head.
No wonder—it was something entirely new.
"What is this?"
"It's called a fan device, a new invention from our group."
Father explained its operation in detail, and the eunuch activated it just as described.